Dumping-car-operating mechanism



(No Model.) v 4 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. MGMAHON. PUMPING GAR OPERATINGMECHANISM.

No. 541,981. Patented July 2, 1895.

INVENTOR WlTNESSES: $41M m ATTORNEYS (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. McMAHON.

DUMPING UAR OPERATING MECHANISM.

Patented July 2, 1895.

illl-I:

mvamoa maza AW W 4 ATTORNEYS I WITNESSES:

(No'ModeL) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3. W. McMAHON.

DUMPING GAR OPERATING MECHANISM. No. 541,981. Patented July 2 189.5.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR BY W ATTORNEYS I (N6 Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4. w.MQMAHON.

DUMHNG GAR OPERATING MECHANISM.

No. 541,981. Patented Ju1y 2, 1895.

INVENTOR WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES.

ATENT Tries.

WILLIAM MOMAHON, or RVAHWAY, NEW JERSEY.

DUMPING-CAR-OPERATING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent I\To. 541,981, dated July2, I895. Application filed November 22, 1894= Serial No. 529,561. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM MOMAHON, a citizen of the United States,residing at- Rahway, Union county, State of New Jersey, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Means for Opening, Closing, andLooking Doors and Gates, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in means for operatingdoors and gates and for locking .them, and more particularly to devicesfor operating the doors or gates in hopper-bottom cars or othervehicles.

One of the salient features of this invention is that it can be appliedto almost any hopper-bottom car now in use without interfering with orweakening the structure. Different railway companies have employed greatskill in building hopperbottom cars, and many of them have attained ahigh degree of skill structurally. Mydeviee, therefore, is designed tohe applied to the doors or gates of any of said cars without materiallychanging,

the structure of the car, as well as being adapted to be incorporatedinto any standard car while it is being built, without necessitatingchanging the plans of the cars as they are now organized.

WVhile my improvements are especially adapted for use on coal-cars, theycan be equally well applied to hopper-bottom ears for carrying grain,and they are so arranged that they will not injure the grain, althoughreadily permitting the grain to be'dumped in bulk from the cars.

One of the objects of my invention is to so organize and arrange themechanism that it can be located wholly below the floor-level of thecar, so that the car can be used for carrying timber and other largebodies without intering with the door-operating devices.

A further object of my invention is to generally simplify and improvethe devices for operating the doors or gates of hopper-bottom cars, sothat they will be positive in action, strong, and not liable to get outof order.

A further object of my invention is to strengthen the doors or gates ofthe hopper, so that they will withstand greater wear than the doors orgates ordinarily used.

The invention consists in the novel details of improvement and thecombinations of parts, that Will be more fully hereinafter set forth,and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming parthereof, wherei.n-

Figure l isa partly-broken side elevation of a hopper-bottom gondola-carembodying my invention. Fig. l is a detail of thornsing for themechanism. Fig. 2 is a partlybroken plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is acrosssection on the plane of the line 3 3 in Fig. 2, looking in thedirection of the arrows. Fig. 3 is a detail of part of the casing forthe mechanism. Fig. at is a longitudinal section through the hopper,showing the 'doors or gates lowered, partof the truss or stringer overthe hopper being removed. Fig. 5 is an inverted plan viewshowing themetal frame on the doors or gates. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the hopper,showing a modified arrangement of parts. Fig. 7 is a cross-section onthe line 7 7 in Fig. 6, looking in the direction of the arrows; and Fig.8 is a longitudinal section through the hopper, showing a modified formof gearing.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar numerals of referenceindicate corresponding parts in the several views, the numeral 1indicates the body of a coal-car, usually called a gondola-car, whichcar-body may be of any desired construction.

2 is the bottom or floor of the car, and 3 is the hopper, which may bearranged in any desired manner, the doors 4 4 being hinged thereto, soasto drop downwardly from the center, as usual in hopper-bottom cars.In'the example of car shown in Figs. 1 to 5, which is in use on some ofthe railways in this coun-' try, a beam or truss 5 passes over thecenter of the hopper 3, the planks or flooring 2 crossing said truss orbeam.

In Fig. 3 two parallel beams 5 5 are shown, having a space between them,and for the purpose of supporting the mechanism for operating the doors4t 4 I desire to utilize said beams, as shown in the drawings. Saidmechanism'is arranged to act directly on the doors 4 to open and closethem, and is constructed and arranged as follows:

6 is a shaft shown supported by the truss 5, and may be journaled inbrackets or hangers 7, shown secured to anddepending from thetruss-beams 5. (See Fig. 3.) On the shaft IO which the links or bars 9are pivoted, whereby a strong fitting is secured to resist the wear ofthe coal. The brackets 11 are shown provided with threaded studs 12,that pass through the doors 4 and have nuts 13, which firmly secure themin place. lVith this construction, when the crank-arms 8 projectupwardly, the links 9 depend therefrom substaniially parallel therewith,(see Fig. 1,) and preferably lie between the arms 8. (See Fig. 3.)

In this position the doors 4 will be closed (or raised) as in Fig. l,the shaft 6 and pivot 10 thereby being in substantial vertical alignmentto sustain the weight of the doors. In order to further assist insustaining the doors 4 by the links or bars 9 the latter may be providedwith recesses 14, which pass over the shaft 6 when the links are raised,whereby the shoulders 15 on said links bear on said shaft to sustain theweight of the doors. (See Fig.1.) When the doors 4 are in the lower oropen position, as in Fig. 4, and it is'desired to raise them, the shaft6 is turned in the direction of the arrow at in Fig. 4, whereby the arms8 are swung upwardly to a vertical position which carries up the linksor bars 9, the

latter thereby raising the doors 4, the shoulders 15 on said links thenpassing over the shaft 6 and resting thereon, as in Fig. 1.

When the doors 4 are to be lowered, the shaft 6 is reversed, so that thecrank-arms 8 are swung downwardly, which permits the links 9 and doors 4to descend, the links 9 acting to force the doors down should they bestuck or frozen in the closed position.

For the purpose of obtaining increased power to operate the doors 4 Ihave shown gearing for turning the shaft 6. For this purpose aspur-wheel 16 is shown secured to the shaft 6, a pinion 17 meshing withsaid wheel.

(See Fig. 4.) The pinion 17 is carried by a shaft 18, which is journaledat its inner end in the brackets 7, and passes horizontally through thehopper 3, its outer end being journaled in suitable bearings 19, carriedby one of the side sills 20 of the car frame or body, or otherwisesupported. The outerend of the shaft 18 projects beyond the side of thecar and may be squared 'to receive a lever 21,

by which it maybe turned. One of the arms 8 may be secured to the wheel16, if desired,

to increase the strength of the parts. The

wheel 16 may carry a pin 1) to encounter the bracket 7 to limit themotion of the wheel 16 or arm 8 in lifting the doors, or other means maybe employed for this purpose. The shaft portions 26 of the frames 22.

18 may carry a ratch'etewheel 18 to be engaged by a pawl 19, carried bythe car-body 'to prevent spontaneous turning of said shaft.

It will be seen in Fig. 3 that the shaft 13 is beneath the floor-level,as is also the doonop- 7o erating mechanism, so that the car can beusedfor transporting other articles than coal without interference fromthe door-operating devices. By this means lumber, iron beams, 850., canbe laid along the floor of the car, so as to pass over the hopper 3without interfering with or injuring the door-operating mechanism.

For the purpose of strengthening the doors. 4, while at the same timeproviding a strong means for hinging the doors to the hopper, I haveshown the doors 4 as secured to metallic frames 22, which extend alongthe edges of the doors on their lower sides, as in Fig. 5. The frames 22consist of longitudinal bars 23 connected by end bars 24 and a centralbrace bar 25,the studs 12 passing through plate-like (See Fig.5.) Fromone side of each frame 22 project lugs or cars 27, whichpass betweenlugs or cars 28 0 on plates or hinge-pieces 29, pivots 3O joining therespective parts together. The plates 29 are shown bolted at the inneredges of the hopper 3, the lugs or cars 28 extending downwardly toreceive the lugs 27 of the frames 22. 5 By this means the frames 22 arehinged to the hopper; but it will be understood that the doors can beotherwise hinged to the hopper 3. The parts 23, 24, 25, 26, and 27 ofthe frame 22 should be cast in a single piece of metal, and the doors 4will be secured to said frames, as by bolts 32. By this means the doorsare greatly strengthened and are less liable to be injured than wherethe boards are merely hinged to the hopper by ordinary hinges. Theseframes are also essential when the doors are provided with a singlemechanism located centrally with the hopper, as shown.

In order to protect themechanism from injury by the coal in the hopper,I have shown a casing that surrounds said mechanism'and is carried bythebeam or truss 5. This casing is shown composed of suitably-shaped plates32 33 placed together on four sides surrounding said mechanism. Theseplates are shown concave on their inner sides, and the plates 32 have ahorizontal web 34 to be bolted to the beams 5 and a stem 35 to pass upbetween said beams. (See Figs. 1 and 4.) The plates 33 haveinwardly-extending ledges orlugs 36 to be bolted to the under sides ofthe beams 5 and upwardly-extending webs 37 to be bolted tothe sides ofthe beams 5. On the back of the plates 32 33 may be cast ribs 38, whichserve to strengthen said plates. One of the plates will be provided withan aperture 39 for the passage of the shaft 18. When said plates are inposition, they form an open-bottomed casing that lies close to the doors4, as shown, so as to completely incase the mechanism. Should it bedesired to reach the mechanism, one of the plates 33 can be readilyremoved to permit access thereto. 1

From the foregoing description it will b observed "that a singledoor-operating mechanism is used, which is located centrally within thehopper3; but it will be evident that said mechanism can be otherwiseplaced for connection with the doors, as by supporting it upon the sidesof the car. It will also be understood that while I have shown a beam ortruss 5 extending longitudinally and centrally over the hopper any othersuitable arrangement of truss or support over the hopper for thedoor-operating mechanism can be used.

In Figs. 6 to 8 the supports or truss for the door-operating devices areshown extending across the hopper from side to side of the car. Thesesupports may be in the form of boards turned on edge and located beneaththe floorlevel of the car, being covered by boards 5*.

In Figs.6 and 8 two boards are shown having a space between them inwhich the dooroperating mechanism is located, whereby the coal isprevented from injuring the mechanism. r

In Figs. 1 to 5 the gates 4 are shown extending transversely of the car,While in Figs. 6, 7, and 8 the gates extend longitudinally thereof,having their meeting edges located centrally of the car. Figs. 1 to 5also show a spur-wheel and pinion for turning the shaft (5, while inFigs. 6 and 7 I have shown a wormwheel and worm forthis purpose. Theshaft 6 of the worm-wheel 16 is shown journalediu the trusses or boards5, and the worm-wheel extends transversely of the car. In this case alsothe shaft 18 may bejournaled in the sills 20 or in the boards of thehopper 3, and the worm 17 is carried by said shaft, so as to mesh withsaid worm-wheel. shaft 18 may be secured to one of the crosstrusses 5 tohold the shaft in proper position relatively to the worm-whee].

In Fig. 8 the shaft 6 is shown provided with a spur wheel 16, whichextends transversely of the car, a pinion 17 meshing with said wheel.

' In this case the shaft 18 is shown extending longitudinally of thecar,having itsinnerend journaled in the cross truss or board 5. This shaftpreferably extends beneath the floor of the car, and its outer end (notshown) will projcct from the end of the car.

While the arrangement of gearing shown for turning the shaft 6 ispreferable, any other suitable or desired arrangement of gearing may beused for the purpose. It will be evident, also, that the shaft 6 can beturned directly to operate the doors 4 without using the gearing. Suchan arrangement is shown in dotted lines in Figs. 3 and 8, wherein theshaft 6 is extended across the hopper 3, its outer end being journaledin the side of the hopper, or otherwise, as may be desired. In allcases, however, when the doors 4 are in A hearing 18 for the the closedposition the links or bars 9 will be upright and on the same side of theshaft 6, and when it is desired to lower the doors said shaft is turnedso that the arms 8 will swing outwardly and downwardly. This movementswings the upper ends of the links 9 sidewise to release them from theshaft 6, and as they are pivoten at both ends they will assume suchpositions as will enable the doors 4 to properly swing down. As thedoors swing in opposite directions, the links 9 will do likewise fromthe pivot 10, the parts thereby assuming the positions shown in Fig. 4.When the doors are to be raised,the shaft 6 is turned reversely. ThearmsS, then rising, following the path in which they descended, willlift the links and -thus raise the gates, the arms 8, when passing tothe vertical, carrying the links 9 over, so that their shoulders 15 willpass over the shaft 6.

While I have shown my invention as applied to a hopper-bottom car, it isevident that it can be used in other relations where it is desired toopen, close, and lock doors, gates, and similar bodies, especially whereav compartment is used to carry material in bulk, from which it isdesired to dump the material in-amass. 1

VVhileI have shown two crank-arms B connected with the links 9, it isevident that said links could be connected with a single swingingcrank-arm if preferred.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combination ofa hopper and a door or gate hinged thereto with a crank -arm, means forpivotally supporting it, a link or bar directly pivoted to said arm andto said door or gate, and means for operating said crank-arm,substantially as described.

2. The combination of a hopper and a door or hinged body, with a linkand crank-arm having three pivots, one of said pivots directlyconnecting said link and arm, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a pair of doors or gates, with a pair of links orbars pivotally connected with said doors, a crank-arm pivoted to both ofsaid links and means for supporting and operating said crank-arm,substantially as described.

4. The combination of a door or gate, with a link pivotally connectedtherewith, said link having a shoulder, to act as a support for the linka crank-arm directly pivoted to said link, a shaft or pivot for saidcrank arm adapted to receive said shoulder upon it, and means foroperating said crank arm, substantially as described.

5. The combination ofa pair of hinged doors or gates,with a pair oflinks pivotally connected with said doors, each link having a to act asa support for said links a crank arm pivotally connected with saidlinks, a shaft or pivot for said crank arm arranged to re shoulder onthe corresponding side thereof,

ceive and support said shoulders, and means for operating said crankarm, substantially .as described.

6. The combination of a pair of doors or gates with a pair of linkspivotally connected therewith, a pair of crank arms directly pivoted tosaid links, a shaft carrying said arms and means for operating said armssimultaneously, substantially as described.

'7. The combination of a car, its hopper, a door or gate hinged thereto,and a truss or support extending across said hopper, with mechanismcarried by said truss or' support for operating and locking said door orgate, and comprising a link and crank-arm pivoted together, the linkbeing pivoted to the door or gate substantially as described.

8. The combination of a car, its hopper, a door or gate hinged thereto,and a truss or support extending across said hopper, with mechanismcarried by said truss or support for operating and locking said door orgate, and comprising a link and crank-arm pivoted together, the linkbeing pivoted to the door or gate and means for protecting saidmechanism from the material in'said hopper, substantially as described.

9. The combination with a hopper bottom car having a hinged door or gateand a truss or support extending across the hopper, of a bracket orbearing carried by said truss, a shaft or pivot carried by said bracketor hearing, a crank arm carried by said shaft or pivot, and a linkpivoted to said crank arm and to said door, substantially as described.

10. The combination with a hopper bottom car having a door hinged tosaid hopper and a truss or support extending across the hopper, ofmechanism for operating said door consisting of a link and crank armdirectly pivoted together and respectively pivotally connected with saiddoor and with said truss, substantially as described.

1i. The combination of a hopper-bottom car having a door hinged to thehopper and a truss extending over the latter, said truss consisting oftwo parallel beams having a space between them, of mechanism carried bysaid truss and connected with said door for operating the 1atter,and acasing to inclose said mechanism, said casing consisting of plates 32having extensions 35 to pass between said beams, and plates 33 havingextensions 37 to bear against said beams, and means for securing saidplates to said truss, substantially as described.

12. The combination of a hopper bottom car having a hinged door and atruss extending over the hopper, of a bracket'secured to said truss, ashaft journaled in said bracket and extending across the car, a pinionon said shaft, a shaft hung in said bracket, a gear Wheel on said shaftmeshing with said pinion, a crank arm to be operated by said wheel, anda link pivotally connecting said arm with said door, substantially asdescribed.

13. The combination of a door or gate with a strengthening frameconsisting of side bars 23, 23, end bars 24, 24, and a cross brace 25,said frame being'secured on one side of said door, substantially asdescribed.

This specification signed and witnessed this 21st day of November, 1894.

WILLIAM MoMAHON. \Vitnesses:

HECTOR DE CASTRO, T. F. BOURNE.

